The Butterfly Effect
by OfInkAndQuill
Summary: How could a simple action by a shop clerk change Harry's Hogwarts experience? Features an intelligent Harry, with a strong friendship with Hermione. Contains a more Slytherin Malfoy. Rated T for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

_This disclaimer applied to this chapter and all of the chapters that may follow: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter world, which is trademarked by J. K. Rowling. I claim no ownership over the characters, or places found within this story. Harry Potter and the associated people, places, spells, and objects were all created by the brilliant J.K. Rowling. This story, and all of my future stories, will deviate from cannon by a fairly large margin. I create this solely for my own entertainment, and make no profit from these stories. If it weren't for the fantastic works of Mrs. J.K Rowling, I would not have this wonderful sandbox to play in!_

**Chapter One: The Butterfly Effect**

The grin that adorned Harry's face could not be broken, despite being back at Number 4. He was a wizard! A real, living, breathing, spell casting, broom flying wizard! He could not wait to go to Hogwarts in a month's time. Not only would he get to learn magic, he would get to escape his hateful relatives. He had been locked in the smallest bedroom as soon as he returned from his trip, and he was at a loss for what to do.

The room was filled with Dudley's broken and smashed toys, along with all of the other belongings that Dudley had no use for. This was to be his new room, and Harry thought it was much better than his cupboard despite the mess. He planned to go through the mess later and find anything salvageable to keep for himself. In the meantime he decided to sort his trunk.

During his trip to Diagon Alley, his purchases had been thrown into his truck with very little thought put towards organization. As he opened the lid he could not help but groan. His pewter cauldron had broken a bottle of ink, and the dark ink now covered the bottom of his trunk. Harry grabbed a ripped shirt out of the pile of junk on the floor and laid it out on the rickety desk after tearing it more to cover the whole desk. For once Harry was glad that his cousin was so large. His trunk was quickly emptied onto the ripped shirt.

His robes were miraculously unharmed by the ink, despite having been right next to his cauldron. On closer examination of his trunk he noticed the ink was only now seeping into the spot that his robes had previously occupied. Harry concluded that the robes had a spell on them to keep them clean. He was dismayed to learn that the ink had destroyed several of his schoolbooks, and the bottom of his trunk was stained. The ink had also seeped into the liner of his trunk, and stained anything that touched it.

Harry sorted his books into two piles: the books that needed to be replaced, and the books that had been unharmed by the ink. " A History of Magic", "Magical Drafts and Potions", and "The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self Protection" had been destroyed by the ink. As he moved "The Standard Book of Spells (Grade one) into the pile of unharmed books, a small pamphlet fell out.

Flourish and Blotts Owl Order Service (OOS)

Your order delivered by owl in three days or less!*

Dear customer,

This pamphlet updates at 12:00pm each night to reflect the new books in stock, as well as the prices and the number of the books in store. Every book that is sold at Flourish and Blotts can be found in this pamphlet under the main categories:

**Dark Arts and Their Defense**

**Transfiguration**

**Potions**

**History**

**Charms and Enchantments**

**Ancient Runes and Arithmancy**

**Herbology**

**The World Abroad**

**Nonfiction**

**Miscellaneous Other**

To access the list of books simply tap the category that the book would be under with your wand. Underage customers should be made aware that this will not count as magic despite the use of your wand, and therefore you will not be breaking the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery. To order a book, tap the title of the book with your wand. It will show up on the last page of this pamphlet. Once you have your full order completed please place a drop of your blood into the square at the bottom of the page, and then press your wand to it. This will validate who you are, backed up by your magical signature. Then to authorize your purchase simply touch the box with your Gringotts key. Your order will appear in our book via a protean charm on the paper. Any questions can be written on this paper and sent to us in the same manner. Your purchases will be sent to your place of residence using our fastest screech owls within three days.

Awaiting your order,

Edmund Blott IV

Co-owner of Flourish and Blotts

_** All rare orders can take up to a month. An owl will be sent to you about any orders that will exceed this time frame. Orders made during the Christmas season or during the three weeks leading up to September first can take up to a week to be ordered. Sorry for this inconvenience._

Harry was shocked at the brilliance of the wizarding world. It was so convenient! He immediately went through the brochure tapping the books he needed, as well the book on jinxes that he had wanted to buy on his trip. He may not be able to do them yet, but it would be a good idea to learn them, despite what Hagrid said. He also ordered a copy of Hogwarts: A History, in an attempt to learn more about his new school. It occurred to Harry that there may be a way to fix his existing books instead of buying a new set, so on the back page he also included a note.

Dear Flourish and Blotts,

On my return home from my first trip to Diagon Alley I opened my trunk only to find that one of my bottles of ink had smashed, ruining several of my new textbooks ("A History of Magic", "Magical Drafts and Potions", and "The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self Protection"). I was wondering if there was a way I could pay to get them magically fixed. However, if this is impossible, please go through with my order of the new set of these books. I hope I have not offended you with my ignorance, but I have grown up away from the magical world, and I am therefore unfamiliar with how the magical world works. If there are any books that you feel would be beneficial in regards to my education, as well as getting to know the rules of this new world, I would appreciate your suggestions. I was also wondering if other businesses in the Alley had similar ordering systems, as my trunk was also ruined when my inkpot broke. Although, I doubt that a trunk could be delivered my owl, I still believe such pamphlets would be beneficial.

Sincerely,

Harry Potter

Harry used one of his potion knives to prick his finger, allowing a drop of blood to drop onto the indicated spot, before tapping it with his wand and Gringotts key. The blood seeped into the parchment before giving off a flash of light, indicating the order had went though. It would be a while before Harry really understood the far-reaching consequences of his actions, no matter how small of an action it was.

* * *

><p>Allard Jackson had been working at Flourish and Blotts for many years. He primarily worked in the back room processing orders, however on the busy days he worked in the main room. He had been working at the front counter when Harry Potter had entered the shop that day. The boy had been curious, looking at all the books in awe. Allard noticed that Hagrid accompanied the boy. Hagrid seemed to be making him stick to the book list, to the boy's visible disappointment. When the two came up to the desk to pay for their purchases, Allard had slipped an Owl Order Catalogue in the pages of the boy's copy of "The Standard Book of Spells (Grade One)." At least now the boy could purchase the books that interested him. Allard knew that the boy had the money to buy all the books he desired. Allard's father had been a close friend of Harry's grandfather, and Allard had been to the Potter Manor a few dozen times as a child. The Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter was rumored to have been around since before the time of the founders. Over the years the Potters had gained a controlling interest in many businesses in the wizarding world, as well as started many of their own. The result was a large fortune that made the Malfoy family look middle classed, although very few people knew of the Potter riches, thinking them to be part of the lower portion of the upper class pureblood families.<p>

Allard had just finished putting together an owl order of quidditch books for Arkie Alderton, when Stefan Flourish called out in surprise.

"The Boy Who Lived, Allard! We have an order from the Boy Who Lived! To think he was in the shop just today, and already we have an order from him!" The man paused in his exclamations as he read the letter. A frown marred the normally jovial man's face. The man practically ran to the desk in his haste to reply.

* * *

><p>It had just turned dark a few hours before, and Harry's eyes were drooping closed despite his determination to read his book. Hedwig had gone hunting as soon as the sun set, and he was waiting for his beautiful owl's return before going to sleep. A screech jerked his attention away from his book. Four owls sat in front of him carrying a large package between them. Harry grinned. He loved magic.<p>

Harry hurried across his small room towards the screech owls, and relieved them of their package. He grabbed four owl treats from their bag on his rickety desk, and offered one to each of the owls. He could have sworn that they bobbed their heads in thanks before flying out to rest in the tree outside.

Harry ripped open the package only to drop into his unstable desk chair in shock. In front of him was a hundred books that were shrunk down and seemingly lightened for the owls benefit. On top was a piece of parchment containing a note.

Dear Mr. Potter ,

It is a great travesty that one of the most famous people in the magical portion of the United Kingdom has been kept away from his heritage. I, as well as my colleague, Edmund Blott, feel that allowing you to enter Hogwarts ignorant (through no fault of your own) of the world that you are entering would be detrimental to your experience there. Therefore we have sent along many books that we believe will help your integration into the wizarding world.

We would also like to invite you to stay in Diagon Alley at the Leaky Cauldron, so we can help educate you on the new world you are entering, and show you things that cannot be found in books. However we realize you are going to be away from your caretakers for most of the year once you start Hogwarts, and that they might not want to let you go so soon. Therefore we have sent along a portkey. A portkey is a magical transportation device that will allow you to quickly and conveniently travel over long distances. This portkey will bring you to Diagon Alley at the designated Portkey Arrival Point. You can use this at your leisure, to either spend the day here, or spend the rest of the summer here. It will of course, be on us. It is up to yourself and your guardians. I recommend that you read the first few chapters of some of your books (especially those on culture) so that we can better answer your questions.

I realize that having never met us, you might be weary about accepting our invitation. Therefore " I, Stefan Ignatius Flourish, do hereby swear on my life and magic, sealed in truth by my blood, that I do not have any ill intentions towards Harry James Potter." If you open the book "Magical Oaths and Promises" to chapter eight, you will realize that I am unable to lie under this oath, and if I had any harmful intentions towards you, my magic would kill me in order to fulfill my oath. These are normally said in person, and are accompanied by a flash of light that indicates that magic has acted on the oath. Since you cannot see this in a letter, oaths must be written in blood to validate the claim.

In a show of good faith, I would like to let you in on a little known secret. Your use of magic cannot be traced before your first time entering Hogwarts. I hope this piece of information leads to a productive summer Mr. Potter, whether or not you intend to revisit the alley.

Hoping to see you soon,

Stefan Flourish

P.S. To activate the portkey, simply touch it (and anything you plan to bring with you) and say the activation word: "Knowledge."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: On The Wings Of Change

The number of books that had come with the owls shocked Harry. There were books on wizarding culture, law, etiquette, healing, ancient runes, arithmancy, and languages as well as the core subjects. But what intrigued him the most was not the books, but a backpack with another note attached to it with string.

_Harry,_

_With all these books, you are going to need something to carry them around in without hurting your back; there are a lot of stairs in Hogwarts after all. When I was young my father used to bring me over to your grandfather's house while they did business. For my eleventh birthday your grandfather gave me a bottomless backpack, and I have decided to buy the same for you. Its features include a summoning charm. All you have to do is put your hand in the pouch and say what it is you are looking for and the item will be brought into hand's reach for you to take out. In addition the bag is charmed to weigh no more than fifteen pounds depending on what you put in it. It can be charmed to be weightless, however this feature is not advisable to those living in the non-magical world. If a muggle were to touch this backpack without knowing its features, they will find an ordinary backpack with nothing inside it. They will also feel compelled to return it to its rightful owner. If you bring the bag to Terrance's Magical Trunks and Totes, Terry can key the bag to only open to you, using a small amount of blood. You can also get many other features added to it if it is your wish._

_Having seen your letter to the store I am aware that you are in need of a new trunk. Instead of buying one, I suggest you visit your vault manager at Gringotts. Your family has a tradition of buying an exquisite trunk for each of their offspring for their eleventh birthday as a right of passage. The trunks are charmed with many security measures, as well as other useful features. All of the salvageable pieces from Godric's Hollow would have been moved there after your parent's death, and their trunks may be within your vault._

_When I slipped the Owl Order Service pamphlet into your books, I never thought that we at Flourish and Blott's would hear from you so soon. However, I am glad that we have been able to help you, and if you need anything else, feel free to Owl us. If you reach into the front pocket of your backpack you will find owl order pamphlets for all of the stores in the Alley._

_Sincerely,_

_Allard Jackson_

_Shop Clerk at Flourish and Blotts_

A grin split across Harry's face as he opened up the black leather-like backpack. The feel of it was decidedly not leather, and Harry could not figure out what it was. His Aunt Petunia had a leather trench coat, and she had made him carry it every time she had to take him grocery shopping when Mrs. Figg could not take him for a few hours. The backpack seemed less flexible and thicker than her coat had been. The backpack felt very durable, and Harry knew he would have it for a very long time. The backpack had two large pockets at the top that was covered by a thick flap. A large clasp held the flap in place when closed. Two average sized open pockets were visible along the sizes of the bag. A smaller pocket along the front of the backpack was closed with a silver concealed zipper. Opening the zipper, Harry reached in his hand while whispering the word pamphlet. Instantly he felt paper brush across his fingertips. Reaching farther into the pocket he pulled out a large stack of pamphlets.

Flipping through the pages Harry found pamphlets for bookstores, candy stores, clothing stores, apothecaries, stores selling specific magical items, the trunk store, the magical menagerie, as well as a healer's office. Harry pulled out the healer's pamphlet and opened it to the list of services that they offered. He wanted to see if he could get his eyesight fixed. His Aunt Petunia had gotten his glasses out of a bargain bin, and the prescription had never matched him. His eyesight had been getting worse over the years because of this, and he was now practically blind without his glasses. He remembered seeing a witch in the alley with glasses, so he knew that if it were possible, it would be either painful or expensive.

Harry found "Magical Eye Correction" under the list of services, and made a mental note to visit the healer's office next time he was in the Alley.

* * *

><p>It had been almost a week since Harry had received the package of books. He had been reading constantly since that point, and he was already through all the books on culture. When his Aunt Petunia had been in the backyard with the other nosey female neighbours, Harry had raided the couch cushions for change. It was clear that nobody had thought to do this for quite some time, or rather; his Uncle carried a lot of money in his pockets, because Harry left the sitting room with almost 18 pounds to his name.<p>

Harry knew that he would have many more questions about the Wizarding world. He also knew that he would forget some of his questions if he didn't write them down. He had been writing his questions down on parchment, but he liked the organization that bound notebooks gave him. It was for this reason that Harry was on his way to the store. His new backpack was over his shoulders, and all of his personal belongings were inside. He had seen his cousin eyeing up his belongings, and decided to keep them on him at all times. He was still marvelling at the brilliance of his backpack.

Harry had found the shrinking charm in one of the books that were sent to him. He had used it to shrink down his cauldron, after attempting it many times on Dudley's old clothes. After successfully shrinking down all of his cousins cast offs, so that they better fit him, he had done the spell on his cauldron with great success. Now it sat in his backpack along with all of his other belongings. Even with over a hundred books as well as a cauldron and other supplies in his bag, it weighed no more than fifteen pounds just like promised.

Harry passed Mrs. Figg's house and saw her peering through his sitting room window at him. He waved at his babysitter and her gaze followed him down the sidewalk. He often felt like she was constantly observing him. As far as he knew, she did not have a job, and every time he was outside he saw her. The old woman was kind, if a bit batty. The last time he was at her house, when his relatives had been visiting Vernon's sister Marge, he had counted at least fifteen cats. They had seemed like frightfully intelligent creatures.

Before he turned the corner of the street that the Tesco* was on, Harry looked back only to see that had exited her house, and was in her front yard watching him as she seemingly watered her flowers. He picked up his pace in order to get out of her sight. Her fascination with his comings and goings was starting to bother him.

As he reached the automatic doors of the store he clutched the strap to his backpack tighter. He did not want to be in the store long, as it was best that no one recognized him. He walked swiftly towards the stationary aisle and grabbed a pack of five notebooks. Harry felt that the price was more than reasonable, as each notebook contained over 400 pages. After checking the price of the books, he grabbed a pack of cheap pens. He was still struggling to write neatly with his quills, and his hands were constantly covered in ink. As he backed away from the shelf he bumped into someone, sending the items in their hands tumbling to the ground. As he stammered out his apologies, he looked up into the kind eyes of the stranger.

"It's fine son. It was an honest mistake; just make sure to look where you are going next time. You wouldn't want to back into a display!" The man laughed heartily, while helping Harry to his feet. The man had unruly brown hair, and kind blue eyes that sparkled with mirth. Harry could not help but feel that the man looked familiar.

* * *

><p>Albus Dumbledore Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Headmaster of Hogwarts, was a very busy wizard. As all his titles implied, he had a lot of responsibility. Not the least of which was attending the ICW conference in Switzerland. The conference spanned across the second week of August, and once he entered he was unable to leave. He was slated to leave within the hour, and he still had much to do. A knock on the door brought him from his thoughts.<p>

"Do come in!" The headmaster called jovially. "Ah! Minerva, right on time! We have much to discuss, and not much time to do it! Such is the way of the world of course. Have we received replies to all of the Hogwarts letters?"

"We have received all of the replies but one. Two of the pureblood families opted to send their children abroad and thus we have received rejection letters from them. All of the muggleborn children have accepted their spot at the school. Even still the class size is nowhere near what it was before the war. I have yet to receive a reply from Mr. Potter, which is deeply troubling. I thought you said that his relatives were treating him well, and that they would tell him of his heritage?"

"Minerva dear, no need to worry. I sent Hagrid just last week to collect Harry and bring him shopping for his supplies. Hagrid sent me an owl informing me of Harry's acceptance of his position. It must have slipped my mind, as I had intended to inform you of course." The Headmaster's blue eyes twinkled as he spoke.

"Did Hagrid not feel that it was important to inform myself of the acceptance?" Minerva's words were especially biting. " It is after all I who deal with the Hogwarts acceptances, which I have to send to the Board of Governors tomorrow, along with the funding allocations, for their approval. Did you deem this unimportant for me to know Albus? After all, I had informed you of my intention to escort Harry to the Muggleborn orientation tomorrow and how I planned to take him for his supplies beforehand. You know that I planned to take him for his checkup at the Healers. What are you trying to prevent Albus?"

The headmaster just stared stonily at her, the twinkle noticeably absent from his eyes. Minerva had become more and more prone to disagreeing with Albus as the years passed. He did not know how to appease the irate witch. He had sent Hagrid to collect Harry in an attempt to keep him from Slytherin. Albus knew of Hagrid's prejudices, and he may have threw in a few compulsions in order to make sure things went his way. He shuffled through some papers before glancing at the clock.

"I must go Minerva. I have to make a trip to the Ministry before leaving for Switzerland. I trust that you will be fine in my absence? Good day." Albus didn't give his transfiguration teacher a chance to reply as he threw the floo powder into the fireplace calling out his destination: "British Ministry of Magic – Atrium."

The irate witch sent one last glance around the room, which was filled with hundreds of silver trinkets, some were spinning, and others were letting out puffs of smoke. One large trinket at the forefront of the shelves changes from an iridescent yellow to an incandescent red. She swiftly exited the office, slamming the door in her wake.

* * *

><p>"Vernon!" The man called out loudly as he crossed the street towards number four, waving his hand in greeting. " If I could have a quick word? I know that you are probably starving after a long day at work, and I promise I will not keep you long from your meal, lest it get cold."<p>

"Ah Anthony, a pleasure. I can spare a moment or two of course, I am a bit early coming home, and Petunia wont have it on the table yet." Vernon said this was a forced smile that his neighbour didn't notice. He really wanted to go inside and make the freak fetch him a glass of brandy. Work had been particularly stressful today, as his manager had announced that layoffs would be starting next week. Vernon was not as far up in the ranks as he would like everyone to believe, after nearly thirteen years working at the company. Although he had a higher position than the stock boys, he still did a lot of the menial labour. If it wasn't for the money that they received for housing the freak, Vernon doubted they would get to live the lavish lifestyle that they currently do.

" I was just wondering where you bought that leather backpack for your nephew. My son's birthday is coming up and it would make a perfect gift for my son, with him starting university next month."

"My nephew? Where did you see my nephew?" He sputtered, his face turning pink with anger. His neighbour thought that it was a trick of the light. He would have been more attuned to his neighbour's anger if he had noticed Vernon's clenched fist.

"Why at Tesco of course! I was buying school supplies for my son when the young chap bumped into me by accident while leaving the shelf. Sent both of our supplies to the ground, he did. He was impeccably polite though; he helped me pick up all of my supplies all the while saying his apologies. It was no problem really, and I had told him as much, so he picked up his notebooks and had made his way to the cash, fishing out his change to pay." Vernon was starting to become an impressive shade of red, although his unobservant neighbour had yet to notice.

"Ah yes, I will have to ask Petunia where the fr - boy got it." He barely caught himself from calling his nephew a freak. He glanced at his watch.

"I really must go Anthony, Petunia doesn't like when I am late. Say hello to Mrs. Prentice for me, and thank her for the cookies that she had brought over last week. Your wife is an excellent baker."

Harry was putting his notebooks to good use. Each notebook held four designated subjects, and each subsection was intended for the different subjects within that book. Each notebook had three brown dividers in it, which split it into four sections. Within these subject dividers Harry had wrote the title of the books he had read at the top of the page with an increasingly long list of questions that stemmed from that book. He had further split the questions up by chapters for easier reference. Harry had transferred his questions from the parchment that he had earlier used, into the notebooks. He was very proud of his new work ethic.

The Dursley's had been terrible to him, to say the least. He was their slave, their house elf. It was a concept he came across in one of his culture books, and he was horrified. He was even more horrified to learn that Hogwarts had the largest group of house elves in the wizarding United Kingdom. He fully intended to talk to the little creatures about their lot in life. If he found them to be unhappy, he would use his considerable fame to his advantage and lobby for the little creatures. If he had learned one useful thing from Vernon Dursley, it was how to maneuver people into thinking your way, and how to use things to your advantage. It was because of this skill that Harry had managed to avoid a beating from his relatives in the past several years.

Harry heard the front door slam and his uncle's heavy steps making their way up the stairs. He quickly replaced his things into his backpack in order to avoid his uncle's ire. Looking around the room, the only thing that would incite his uncle was his owl's cage, which thankfully was devoid of Hedwig. His beautiful snowy had taken to sleeping outside his window in the hollow of the tree. He still kept his window open for her, and he fully intended to rid himself of the cage, and buy his owl a perch, which would be more towards her sensibilities.

Harry hid his backpack under his bed just as the man entered the room. Harry immediately noticed his clenched fists, and purple face. The vein in his forehead seemed close to bursting in his anger. Despite the apparent anger of his uncle, the man did not bellow as Harry expected. His voice was low, his words hard to hear, but the anger was immediate apparent.

"You thought you could steal from me boy? You thought that you could get away with it? My money? My hard earned money. YOU LITTLE FREAK!" His voice had gradually increased in volume, before he was bellowing in anger as Harry originally expected. A punch to the gut followed the exclamation. Another punch rained down upon the small boy, followed by a kick to the head. His vision was blurring rapidly. Harry regretted leaving his wand in his backpack. He kept reaching towards the bed, in the hopes of getting his wand, but as his Uncle's kicks became more violent, his body was wracked with pain, and he couldn't move more than an inch.

He heard a crack as his Uncle's foot connected with his jaw, breaking it into pieces. He knew then that his Uncle was wearing his steel toe boots. Tears pooled in his eyes but he would not let them run down his face. He would not be weak. He would not give his uncle that satisfaction. Harry knew he was going to die. He could barely move, and with his broken jaw he knew it would be almost impossible to scream. Even if he managed to, he knew that no one would come for him.

Harry wished that he could have seen Hogwarts before he died. He wished that he could have made a friend. It would have been his first friend. He wished he could have learned all the magic he could. Having lived with the Dursley's, who forced him to do worse than Dudley, or face a beating, he had been looking forward to going to a school where he could do his absolute best. He wanted to be the best in his class. But now he knew that none of his dreams would be seen, because he was going to die in a pool of his own blood on the floor of the smallest bedroom.

Harry heard rather than felt his Uncle's belt come down upon his side. He was numb, and he was fading fast. Blood was dripping down his head before his eyes. He knew that head wounds bled heavily, but there was a lot of blood leaving his body.

His uncle was luckily nowhere near a fit man. Harry often mentally compared him to a whale. The beating that felt like hours to Harry had actually lasted for less than five minutes before his Uncle left the room, panting with exhaustion. As the door shut behind him, Harry's world turned black.

* * *

><p>The sun shined brightly into the bedroom. It illuminated the room revealing bookshelves. The colour of the walls was unknown, as the bookshelves spanned from the floor to the ceiling on all four walls. It was apparent that they were custom built, as they were the exact same colour as the cherry wood bed that was built into the bookshelves. Above the bed was the solitary window. It was a large window which spanned the width of the inhabitants king size bed, and reached close to the ceiling, where another small bookshelf was mounted. They were all one unit, and together they made an impressive image. On the bookshelf above the bed a picture showed a family of three smiling grandly for the photographer in front of the Eiffel Tower. Another photo showed the same three people in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Other similar photos littered the shelf. The young girl in the photo entered the room with a smile on her face.<p>

She was a witch! A spell casting, potion brewing, witch! She had already bought all of her supplies earlier in the summer when Professor McGonagall had brought her family to Diagon Alley. Today was the Muggleborn Orientation and checkup. Professor McGonagall had given her family a portkey that would be activating in half an hour. The young girl presumed that the other muggleborns were given one too. After the orientation her family was intending to do some more shopping in the Alley.

She was surprised that her parents were so supportive of her. They admitted to being relieved that someone had an answer to what had been going on. Since she was a few years old she had been "calling" things to her when she wanted them, and making her dolls move without touching them. She had also been prone to making her book hover in front of her as she read it, and the pages would flip when she finished the page. The transfiguration professor had indicated that they were accidental incidents of summoning, animating, and levitating respectively. Her professor had been surprised at her control with magic, as most children's magic was wilder and completely uncontrolled. Her mom's voice pulled her out of her musings.

"Hermione darling, the portkey is going to activate soon. Do you have everything you need?" Her mother was beautiful. She had straight hair, the colour of her daughter's that reached the middle of her back. Her eyes were a deep ocean blue. A smile adorned her face, showing off her straight white teeth. She wore expensive clothing that showed off her curvaceous figure.

Her daughter wore similar expensive clothes. She wore a pair of dark wash jeans, and a flattering pink shirt. She was dressed to impress, and she fully intended to make some friends at the orientation. Hermione was hoping that there would be more students like her: intelligent and eager to learn.

* * *

><p>Hermione was disappointed. Although a few of her fellow muggleborns seemed intelligent, none of them had prepared for Hogwarts as much as her. When she asked a curly haired boy named Justin if he had read <em>An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe<em>, he gave her an incredulous look before moving closer to a black boy named Dean. She hoped that more of the half bloods and purebloods were studious like her. She did not want to be an outcast at Hogwarts for being intelligent, like she was at her primary school.

She yearned for a friend; A friend who she wouldn't have to dumb herself down for. It would be her first friend. Her hopes were slightly dashed by the orientation.

Other than the lack of intellectual equals, the orientation had been successful so far. Professor McGonagall had given the children a glass of pumpkin juice, on Hogwarts tab. They were also given the option of buying a case of butterbeer off of Tom to take home. The Professor explained that these delicious drinks were frequently served in the wizarding world, and she wanted them to be acquainted with these simple pleasures.

"… move at Hogwarts. It is imperative that you observe the portraits on your way to your common room. It is an easier way to memorize the route, as the staircases move around. Each common room will be guarded by a portrait, which a password is used to open the door. This password changes frequently. In the case of the Ravenclaw's, their common room is opened via a riddle, not a password."

Hermione raised her hand high into the air in order to grab her professor's attention. It didn't take long for Professor McGonagall to notice her raised hand and call upon her.

"But Professor, a riddle hardly seems like an adequate way to guard the common room. Just because the students of Slytherin, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff are not sorted into the house specifically meant for those who are academically inclined, does not mean they are unintelligent. It simply means that being cunning, brave or hardworking, is a bigger personality trait. For example, both yourself and Headmaster Dumbledore graduated at the top of your respective classes, and you were both Gryffindors. Professor Snape holds a dual mastery in both Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts, and is vaunted to be the creator of the Wolfsbane potion which has revolutionized the lives of those infected by lycanthropy. Hesper Starkey was a Hufflepuff who revolutionized potion making when she discovered the effect that the phases of the moon have on potion making. It is because of her research that polyjuice was found to be more stable when the fluxweed is picked at the full moon. My point is professor, that the students of Ravenclaw may not be adequately protected, especially because Hogwarts is supposed to be the safest place in Britain besides Gringotts."

Professor McGonagall was flustered and was unable to come up with an adequate reply for the young witch. She was astounded that a witch that had yet to enter Hogwarts yet, who had only known about the wizarding world for a mere month, knew so much. Internally she was already classifying the girl as a Ravenclaw.

"I will speak to the headmaster of this shortcoming, and see if additional security can be added to the Ravenclaw common room Miss. Granger." The older witch spoke softly in order to eliminate any possible sound of rebuke from her voice. She could see the looks that her classmates were exchanging, and did not want to help alienate her student any more. " If we were at Hogwarts I would award you ten points for your excellent deductive reasoning, as well as your preparedness."

The professor then quickly brought the students and their parents out of the Leaky Cauldron into the Alley. She intended to show them different aspects of the Alley that they would not have seen on their first visit. She then intended to bring them to the Healer's office for an examination. As she passed the Apothecary she spoke.

"Many of you may be wondering what the two circles drawn on the ground are for. These are the designated Portkey and Apparition points. When a witch or wizard tries to portkey or apparate to another part of the Alley they will be funneled here by the wards. It can be painful depending on how far away from the arrival points you were trying to arrive. For that reason most people just set their target destination here. Of course there are the few that will never learn." A few giggles were heard from the group. "For those of you who do not know, Portkey and Apparation are both forms of magical travel. If you would like to know more about them, a description of each can be found in the "Muggleborn Guide to Magical Travel" that was given to each of you upon your acceptance. Flooing is another way which magicals travel. Muggles can also arrive by this method as long as they floo with a magical person. Floo in the alley is mostly done through the Leaky Cauldron, as many of the stores in Diagon Alley have restricted floo access…"

As they continued to walk down the Alley Hermione heard a screeching noise and looked back at the Portkey Arrival Point. On the ground was a shape. Above the shape was a frantic owl. The shape didn't seem to be moving.

* * *

><p>A soft pecking at his chest woke him. Concerned amber eyes peered at him. Hedwig sat on his chest attempting to rouse him. He hurt all over, and he could barely move. He began to panic. His breathing became tighter and he could barely think through his panic.<p>

A screech brought his eyes back to his familiar. She held a chord in her beak. At the end of the chord was a miniature wooden book painted in a dark blue. It took him a minute to remember what it was. His portkey!

His clever owl screeched again before dropping the chord into his hand. She flew off his chest and out of his sight. He heard something being dragged across the floor. It seemed heavy as his precious owl seemed to be struggling to move it if her hoots were any indication. They sounded frustrated to Harry, although he could not figure out why. Finally he felt something in his hand.

Moving his hands minutely he could feel the hard texture of his backpack. He inwardly smiled despite his pain. His owl was so smart.

Hedwig was once again on his chest staring at him.

"Knowledge" He whispered, without moving his injured jaw. He lost consciousness as the hook behind his navel took him and his familiar away from his relatives, hopefully for the last time. He had never considered number four to be his home.

* * *

><p>In a room in northern Scotland a trinket turned from red to black before shattering into thousands of minuscule pieces that could not be seen by the naked eye. The Headmaster would not see the occurrence as he had left his office the day before. The portraits on the walls were empty as they all visited their other frames in the Headmaster's weeklong absence.<p>

The only being to see the trinket explode trilled mournfully for the boy that the broken trinket was supposed to monitor. He knew his human would not be happy with the boy for leaving his relatives. He had seen the trinket turn from the bright yellow that signified contentment to the bright red that signified fear and pain. He had watched the trinket all night and knew it was for the best that the boy had left. He however had no way of telling his human this.

Fawkes only wished that his human had not bound him to the Hogwarts grounds in his absence. His job was to keep an eye on the office and the wards. He wished he could heal the young boy who gravely needed his help.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: The Week of Healing

Hermione screamed.

The students and parents around her all started before turning in the direction she was looking. At once, everyone started running towards the prone figure. Hermione reached the shape first, the owl moving out of her way, still screeching.

The human on the ground was impossible to identify through all the blood. She could not tell if the human was male or female. Based on the body size she thought the human was around nine years of age.

The human was bent inwards in a warped fetal position, broken limbs making it impossible for the being to properly be in the defensive position. In the human's hand sat a small wooden book, a stark contrast to the sea of red that covered the human's form.

The adults around her were franticly muttering, unsure what to do for the boy in this foreign world that they found themselves in. She kept her eyes on the human's face as she was pushed out of the way by the distraught transfiguration professor.

"Someone get a healer!" her Deputy Headmistress screeched. "Straight down the alley right next to Madam Malkin's!"

* * *

><p>Amanda Percuro came from a long line of healers. For centuries her family had been practicing the healing arts. At one time her grandmother had been the Head Healer at St. Mungo's. It was because of this that Amanda became a healer. The idea of being a healer had been engrained into her head by her family since she was old enough to understand their words. But despite this, Amanda did not work at St. Mungo's. The current Head Healer at St. Mungo's had once been her mother's betrothed, as per a marriage contract between the two families. But her mother had been unhappy, and had run off with Amanda's muggleborn father. The two had never wed as her father had died in a mysterious accident several months after the two had run off together. So she kept her mother's maiden name and worked hard through Healer's training. She had finished the course at the top of her class, and yet despite this, Armand, the Head Healer refused to look passed old grudges, or her half blood heritage.<p>

The Percuro family had always been a wealthy one, and her grandfather, who was their Head of House, had gladly given her the money to start her own healing practice in Diagon Alley. It had been years since she opened and she had easily paid back her grandfather within the first year. Her busiest day by far was always the day of the muggleborn checkups. She had been a Gryffindor in her day, and her Head of House supported her decision to start her own practice. On the same day each year Minerva brought the young children, accompanied by their parents, into her office for a full checkup. Her staff consisted of muggleborn's and half bloods like her, who were kind to the new students and their parents, and could easily relate.

Checking the time on her watch Amanda started to become impatient. The students should have arrived by now, and she was eager to get started. Just as the thought touched her mind a woman with deep blue eyes and straight brown hair pushed the door open and ran into the room frantically looking around. When the woman's eyes landed on Amanda she called to her.

"We need a healer, possibly several over by the apothecary. There is a young child at the portkey arrival point who has been beaten bloody. He is unconscious and I fear he may not have long."

* * *

><p>When Dr. Marlene Granger had been invited to her daughter's muggleborn orientation she had expected to enjoy a day filled with information and fun filled activities. She had not expected to be running as fast as she could towards the healer's office in order to save a young child's life. She was attracting attention in her muggle clothes, and many witches and wizards stopped to gawk at her, whether it was because of her clothes or her speed she was unsure. The sight of the young child was ingrained into her mind as she ran haphazardly towards her destination. The child had been clutching a small wooden book as if it would save their life. It had been the only thing that Marlene could see that stood out through all of the blood. The hand that had been holding the small book had seemed small and frail. She wondered how long the poor child had been mistreated. Images of the torture the child would have gone through to obtain to gain such harsh injuries flashed imaginatively through the dentists mind, causing her to cringe. Tears began to form in her eyes as she grew closer to her destination.<p>

Marlene was pulled out of her thoughts as she spotted Madam Malkins. Next door sat a quaint store with a sign that read "Percuro's Practice for Muggle and Magical Maladies." Marlene thought the store sounded more like they caused them than cured them, yet she pushed her way into the store nonetheless.

She called out to the young female in the store requesting several healers by the Portkey Arrival Point before turning around and sprinting back towards the prone child without a backwards glance.

* * *

><p>Pain. Every part of his body was in pain. It was a sharp stabbing pain that ran from the top of his head to the tip of his toes. Not a single part of his body was immune from the pain. He could faintly hear many people around him. Their voices held a frantic tone, although Harry could not make out any distinct words. His breathing, he noticed, was irregular, and his heartbeat was quicker than usual. He was scared, very scared. The voices were getting fainter and fainter before all he knew was silent blackness. The pain had sharply increased until it felt like thousands of red hot knives were being stabbed repeatedly into his forehead, and then, he knew no more.<p>

* * *

><p>Healer Amanda Percuro and her team were baffled by the results of their scans. Harry Potter? The young boy who was beaten bloody who was getting closer and closer to becoming The-Boy-Who-Died was their young saviour? Amanda couldn't fathom how any magical guardian of the boy could possibly think of attempting murder on their saviour. That was what this beating looked like after all. The internal injuries were as immense as the external ones, and it was a miracle that the boy was even alive. It took serious hate to inflict this much pain on a child, and Amanda seriously wondered how long the child had been suffering. She vowed that who ever did this would pay. Her magic flashed around her creating an unintentional promise bound by magic. They would pay.<p>

* * *

><p>"… losing him."<p>

"His injuries are too…"

"Stabilize him…"

"…can't…"

Hermione's world was being turned upside down. She had heard the whispers of the healers. The child in front of her was Harry Potter. He was in several of her favourite books and he was portrayed as strong, and a hero. The child in front of her did not resemble either of these things. The healers had used Scrougify on the child to remove the blood, only to see a bruised child with limbs bent at impossible angles. Harry had raven hair just as they had described in all of her books. Hermione did not know if he had the startling emerald green eyes that the books claimed as he had yet to open them.

Tears streaked down Hermione's face as she looked at the young boy. She had grown up with loving parents who had rarely raised their voices at her, let alone a hand. The wizarding world's saviour on the other hand would be lucky to make it through the next hour, let alone the night. Her heart was breaking at seeing the pain reflected on Harry's face. She vowed that if he lived through the night she would do anything to ensure that he was never hurt like this again. She would be his friend and confidant if he would let her. The bright flash around her did not faze her as she continued to stare at Harry as the Healer's rushed around trying to stabilize the dying boy.

* * *

><p>Minerva McGonagall was a proud witch. She prided herself in her house at Hogwarts at the role that she played for them. Like a proud lioness she territorially watched over her cubs, defending them from all that attacked. She felt caged, and useless as she watched the healers attempt to stabilize the child of two of her favourite cubs. The fact that they were grown adults when they died did not change the fact that they were her cubs. She felt like she had failed them. It was Minerva who allowed the headmaster to leave the young child on his relatives doorstep. She had very few doubts that it was one of his relatives that did this to him. After watching the family for an extended period of time, she had many doubts to Albus' plan. She had a bad feeling creep up on her the night that the sleeping child was placed on the porch of number four Privet Drive. She now knew that the feeling was founded.<p>

Part of Minerva wanted to storm through the door of number four and take the Dursley's to task, but the little boy before her had to come first. She had to know that he was going to live before she left his side. She looked around her at the crowd that had gathered. Muggle and wizard faces alike showed both shock and anger at the child's state. Child abuse was simply not heard of in the wizarding world in regards to magical children. With the magical birth rates in Britain at an all time low, with most families only having one or two children, abuse was scarce, for fear of ending the bloodline. Abuse was evident with the children of purebloods who were born without magic, squibs, but a child with magic would never be treated like this.

She wanted nothing more than to see those brilliant green eyes that she knew resided behind the child's sunken lids. When the blood was removed a broken, malnourished child was revealed to her. She wanted to see the child flourish in her class, answering questions and completing tasks with the vigor that the young Lily Evans used to show her. She wanted to see his eyes sparkle with mischief like the young James Potter. But most of all she wanted to see his chest continue to rise and fall. She wanted to see him live.

* * *

><p>Amanda had sent for the goblin healers as soon as she had found the dark matter pulsating in the magic that inhabited the boy's body. For one's magic did not just pulsate somewhere in their chest like the word "core" lead many to believe. A wizard's magic pulsated through every fiber of their being. Not a single cell from the tip of their toes to the hair on their head was devoid of magic. Magic is who they are. The dark "patch" as she kept mentally calling it, was concentrated on the boy's forehead. His scar to be exact.<p> 


End file.
